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A Full Plate
Charlestown Farm Center
Broadwater Farm
Phoenixville Farmers' Market

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Employment Opportunities for the 2012 Season

Farm Apprenticeships

Charlestown Farm is seeking two main-season apprentices for 2012, beginning April 2nd and ending November 30th, with time off for Thanksgiving, of course. At the heart of our Farm is our 175-member non-certified organic CSA, just completing its 10th year of operation. We also participate in a highly successful local farmers' market (www.phoenixvillefarmersmarket.org). Sustainability is key in our lives, our soils and our systems. We seek to reconnect people to their food source and the quality of locally grown and raised food.

Apprentice training is part of our mission and apprentices will gain experience in all aspects of farm operations. Applicants should be physically fit, self-motivated, and work well in groups. A person who enjoys the outdoors, is willing to work in extreme conditions, and has an interest in pursuing sustainable agriculture as a career will be most suited to the apprenticeship.

We are a 12-month working vegetable farm with opportunities to grow in the winter and to work with livestock at adjoining Broadwater Farm. We have 16 acres in vegetable crops and small fruits. Our 30x120 hoophouse provides valuable experience in season extension. Farming is a creative art. We aspire to continually improve our sustainable practices through continuing educational opportunities such as farm visits, attending workshops, etc.

• Our workdays are flexible and vary with the demands of the season. At the height of the season, we start our day at 7:00am and finish at 5:00pm, with a 1.5 hour lunch break at noon.
• Housing, if needed, is provided in a renovated stone carriage house with a gourmet kitchen and high-speed Internet access. The house is close to our seedling greenhouse in a private setting close to the Pickering Creek trail which runs along the creek. There is a pond for cool refreshing dips on hot July afternoons. If you are a “birder” the immediate area is a wonderful home to many species of birds.
• We offer a stipend starting at $700 a month depending on experience, all the vegetables you can eat, fresh farm eggs from healthy happy hens, a farm fruit share from a local, high-quality orchard and at cost purchase of value-added items from the farm such as salmon, pork, bison, beef, lamb and bread.
  

If you would like to be considered for the position, please email a letter of interest and resume to Michelle Kenstler at manager@charlestownfarmcenter.org.